Senegal: Former Burundi president seeks top office in OIF

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - Former Burundi president Pierre Buyoya on Friday announced his candidacy for the post of Secretary General of the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) at a press conference in Dakar.

In a personal resume, headlined 'Ambition for la Francophonie', Buyoya said: ''I am not a candidate for an honorary position, I am a candidate on the basis of a project.''

His project is detailed in five subtitles: The 'Francophonie: Shared Value', 'A component of modern international relations',' A political organization and a peaceful power ','An economic dimension' and 'A tool for development '.

"Throughout my career, I have been constantly serving my country, serving Africa, serving the Francophonie. What remains as my ambition now is to put that experience at the highest level of responsibility in the service of the OIF,'' Buyoya said.

In his view, the Francophonie is humanism and as such, it is intrinsically a cultural space for dialogue, openness and generosity.

"Its values ​​will be those that guide our civilization: justice, democracy and the rule of law, uncompromising respect for human rights and human dignity," he added.

After stepping down from his country's leadership, Buyoya has served in various capacities at the international level, including as chair of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), mediator in Darfur and Central African Republic, member of the High Level Panel of the African Union for the independence of South Sudan, OIF representative in several election observation missions across the continent and Head of International Support Mission in Mali (MISMA).

He is currently High Representative of the AU in Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL).

OIF is due to designate its new Secretary General during its 15th Summit scheduled to take place in Dakar from 29-30 November 2014 under the theme "Women and youth Francophonie: vectors of peace, development actors".